Stick to Your Main Point

Whether you’re writing an article, an email, or a prayer letter, you need a main point. You should be able to summarise the subject in a short phrase. If you can’t, then your writing is not focused enough. Your reader will walk away wondering, “What was that all about?”

Once you’ve figured out what the main point of your writing is, reread it and delete what doesn’t relate to your main point.

Most writers naturally go off on rabbit trails in their first draft. This is how we talk and think, but it isn’t appropriate in a written piece, particularly a short one. If a movie includes a rabbit trail that’s not directly related to the story, viewers are tempted to take a snack break.

If there is a rabbit trail in your writing, readers will often skim over it, or worse: they will lose interest altogether because of the confusing, extraneous information. For example, someone picks up your prayer letter to read about what you’ve been doing in your ministry in the last month. They first read about new seekers you’ve met, but in the middle you mention a good book, or a conference. You may lose your reader. Yes, they may be interested in all these things, but maybe not when combined together like this.

In a prayer letter that covers several topics, use subheadings or bullet points, and give each sub-section a main focus. You should still be able to summarise the purpose of your prayer letter in a short phrase, such as, “Inform supporters, so they can pray.”

Remember, after writing something, ask yourself: “What is my goal in writing this? Have I achieved it?”